Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood

Mr John Home Robertson (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what agreement has been made with the relevant trade package contractor for the replacement of defective glazing at Holyrood following the formal winding up of the Holyrood Progress Group on 9 October 2004.

George Reid: A technical fault has been identified with a number of the openable windows across the Parliament complex. The issue relates to the bonding of the silicon sealant to the glass, which occurred during the manufacturing process. None of these windows are currently causing problems, and although only a small number have shown signs of this defect, as a precaution the trade contractor will remove, reseal and reinstate all 154 windows of this type at their expense. This will ensure the long-term integrity and weather-proofing of the building. The work will be carried out outwith Parliament's business hours on a rolling schedule between November 2004 and January 2005 in line with Parliament's snagging programme. The contractor in question has accepted full responsibility for this issue, and there will therefore be no additional cost to the Parliament for the work.

Scottish Executive

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) whether permission was sought by the Scottish Executive to film a video news release within Holyrood and whether the SPCB was involved in any decision on the matter.

George Reid: The Scottish Executive’s Promotion of Scotland Unit sought permission from the Parliament’s Media Relations Office to film approximately two minute’s worth of internal and external general views of the Holyrood building, for use in its overseas promotional video.

  Its request to film inside Holyrood followed the Parliament’s procedures for broadcasters who wish to film inside the parliamentary campus. The rules governing media access at Holyrood were agreed by the SPCB on 19 August 2004.

Scottish Executive

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) on how many occasions the Scottish Executive has held a formal press conference in the chamber, committee rooms or the chamber conference room at Holyrood and whether permission for such meetings was sought from the SPCB.

George Reid: As at 1 November 2004, three formal press conferences had been held inside Parliament by the Executive. The Chamber Conference Room, Committee Room 6 and Room 1.07 Queensberry House were the locations used.

Scottish Executive

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) on how many occasions the Scottish Executive or an Executive official spokesperson has held a media briefing in the committee rooms or the chamber conference room within Holyrood and whether permission for such meetings was sought from the SPCB.

George Reid: As at 1 November 2004, there had been approximately 36 briefings by an Executive official spokesperson. This is based on a weekly pattern, when Parliament is sitting, of Executive media briefings being held in Holyrood twice daily on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. On two other occasions, Executive officials held media briefings at Holyrood.

  Prior to the move to Holyrood, at the request of the Scottish Parliamentary Journalists’ Association, the Executive’s press office approached the Parliament’s Media Relations Office to request use of a venue as a replacement for the Government Room at the Assembly Hall, the Mound.

  The SPCB was accordingly advised on 19 August 2004, that the twice daily use of the Chamber Conference Room by the Executive was being discussed at official level, as the proposed venue of first choice. The SPCB was also advised that alternative arrangements would be considered on occasions when the Chamber Conference Room was not available. To date, the large majority of the twice daily briefings have been held in the Chamber Conference Room.

Scottish Executive

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) what protocol exists between the SPCB and the Scottish Executive for the use of Holyrood, including the chamber, committee rooms, the chamber conference room, the garden lobby and the public areas and, if so, whether any such protocol extends to the use of Holyrood for video news releases and other publicity material for the Executive.

George Reid: Arrangements for filming inside Holyrood were agreed by the Corporate Body on 19 August 2004 in SPCB (2004) Paper 107 entitled Media Access at Holyrood . The minutes of this meeting and the full terms of the media access paper are available on the Parliament’s website. The above paper notified the SPCB that use of the Chamber Conference Room was being proposed for the Executive’s twice daily briefings by its official spokesperson. That arrangement is now in place.

  In terms of using the chamber, committee rooms, the chamber conference room, the garden lobby and public areas, ministers have the same access as other MSPs and no separate protocol arrangements apply for the use or booking of facilities.

  The following statistics for June 2004 are being republished due to a formatting error in the report of 5 July 2004 to 16 July 2004 

  Following are statistics on parliamentary questions and answers for the period from 01/06/04 to 30/06/04

  

 
Scottish Executive
Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body
Total


Total questions asked
844
6
850


Total questions answered
897
6
903



  

  

Total non-recess questions answered (breakdown)


Answered within:
Scottish Executive
Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body


0-10 days
698
5


11-20 days
128
0


21-30 days
32
0


31-40 days
9
0


40+ days
13
0


Total answered
880
5



  

  

Total recess questions answered (breakdown)


Answered within:
Scottish Executive
Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body


0-20 days
6
1


21-30 days
0
0


31-40 days
0
0


40+ days
11
0


Total answered
17
1